Thanks to the popularity of her handcrafted accessories, California artisan Wendy Addison discovered how to make a little magic — and a decent living.

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In the early 1990s, Wendy Addison was a frustrated artist whose career embodied a slew of stunning drawings — stacked neatly underneath her bed. "I desperately needed a creative outlet," recalls Addison, 58, who at the time ran the paper department of a Berkeley, California, art store. Always drawn to ephemera and antiques, Addison began experimenting with paper. Her first piece: a hanging three- dimensional star made of vintage card stock and German glass glitter. "I loved those stars, so I decided to see if I could sell them," says Addison, who notes that back then it was a novel idea to make something at home and try to market it. Nevertheless, the artist's first call to a boutique brought success: The owner promptly placed an order for 20 of the celestial creations. Soon after, requests began pouring in. For a while, Addison worked out of a garage, expanding her inventory to include other ornaments, as well as paper masks, hats, and cards. Today she runs her business, Theatre of Dreams, from a studio in Port Costa, California, a small town north of San Francisco. And her designs, licensed through Midwest of Cannon Falls and Tinsel Trading, can be found in some 2,500 stores nationwide. "A lot of people who create things follow trends," says Addison, "but the key for me is to come up with something different. Otherwise, what's the point?"

Wendy Addison's Strategy for Success

STAY POSITIVE "Rejection can be hard, especially when you're presenting something to the world that's a little part of you," says Addison. "But if you think your product is beautiful — and you really love it — you owe it to yourself to carry on."

FOCUS ON THE DETAILS "I hand-letterpress every bag and hang tag with my logo. It certainly isn't cost-effective, but it makes every purchase seem special."

KEEP IN TOUCH "It's essential to compile a mailing list so you can stay in contact with your customers. I also blog at WendyAddison.blogspot.com."